"Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."
Proverbs 26:12
In the first eleven verses of this chapter, the author repeatedly talks about the issues with fools and those who put any sort of trust in them. You read & you can't help but think that you really don't want to be seen as a fool or one who gives fools responsibility. And after verse upon verse of this, we get verse 12 which jumps out at you.
Fools are bad but a man wise in his own eyes has less hope than a fool!
Sadly there are many wise in their own eyes & you just have to get on Facebook or Twitter to see them. Many are those who proclaim Christ as Lord & Savior. These experts engage in philosophical pondering engaged to make those who hold the Bible as inerrant (Creation, the Flood, one way to Heaven through Jesus, etc) as simpletons ("you seriously take that literally?") or throw insults around at anyone who doesn't hold to their specific political views. They are wise in their own eyes.
Sadly, they also forget James 3:1 that warns us teachers will face a stricter judgement, not realizing (or maybe they do) they are putting themselves as teachers. Whether it be why we don't need or shouldn't go to church, why we can't say what the Bible teaches "as there are so many interpretations", or why Genesis can't be believed, they are teaching & will be held accountable for it. In fact, we all will give account of those words we speak (or type).
My prayer is that we will all examine what we say or place on social media. That we would weigh whether our words build up or tear down the body of Christ; whether they point people to Christ or merely to look at us and build our egos. There is grace and forgiveness when we have failed should we repent.
If we are told to be aware of fools, how much more so those wise in their own eyes?
How timely a reminder to choose what we communicate carefully, in the current age of instant publication. The wisdom of Proverbs is not lost on us today. It reminds me of one in Ps 17: "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding." or the quote often attributed to Lincoln: “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt."
ReplyDeleteI just cannot see Jesus instantly publishing every immediate comment on every situation without seeking guidance from the Father and maybe responding the next morning. He spent a lot of time alone, in lonely places, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through him words of intense and cutting wisdom.
The untamed tongue in James is given a megaphone and an archive when used in social media. Not a wonder many stumble over what we Christians say/write on Facebook, etc.